Syrian insurgents have reached the suburbs of Damascus as part of a offensive that has seen them take over some of Syria's largest cities, opposition activists and a rebel commander said Saturday.
Syrian opposition fighters ride along the streets in the aftermath of the opposition's takeover of Hama, Syria, on Friday.
Amid the dramatic developments, Syria's state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in the capital, Damascus. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes.
The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad's seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support.
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